moving hydrangea?

[insertimaginativeusername]

Just that really...garden has some mature hydrangeas that have slipped over time (bit of a sloped border) and one died a while ago so leaves a gap. I'd like to move them around to balance the border out.

Is this ok to do this time of year? Any tips for ensuring I don't kill them off?

Thanks

How big are they ? Personally I'd move them later in the year when they are dormant .

Are they the kind you prune hard or lightly ?

About 3-4 feet wide?

I don't know if they are the sort that can be/are supposed to be pruned hard, but they take my gung ho approach to pruning very well and have come back every year

I'm guessing they are in flower now, so many you could post a photo ?

Before you move it, give it your hard prune and make some cuttings out of the prunings.
That way if it doesn't survive, you'll have substitute plants.

You could root prune it now , in preparation for moving it in February .

If you prune hard every spring and it still flowers that year , then it must be Hydrangea paniculata , as they flower on new wood . If it flowers on the old wood and you prune hard in spring, you lose the flowers that year .

Also the root ball will be huge and heavy , it will take two people to move it( I'm assuming you have a clay soil )

I'm not able to post a photo right now but your are right, it is clay soil so I will enlist some help for the big move!

I will root some as you say though just in case they don't appreciate it. Thank you for the helpful advice.

These links might help:

www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/

www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/pruning.html

brilliant link!

According to a local gardener on the radio last week, they don't like to be moved but if you do move them, make sure to take a large amount of earth around them so you don't damage the roots

Sounds like a big job! I moved a smallish hydrangea bush about three years ago, it survived, and is still fine.